Misconceptions about Meditation

Having lived and worked with meditation for so many years now, and knowing its incredible value, it’s still a truth that many people have a lot of misconceptions about meditation. Last night I met a lovely lady who seemed a little nervous and sort of incapable of relaxing. We talked about what we did, and when I said that I worked in the holistic field and taught meditation she immediately said, ‘oh, I could never meditate. I can’t keep my mind quiet – I can’t think about nothing – I can’t sit still – I have a hard time learning new things – I’d never get good at that – I don’t have the time and I’ve got too many things to take care of to ever go off and meditate”.

It seemed that today was the right moment to address each one of those issues for those who might feel the same way. Meditation could have easily soothed every single issue she had.

First, meditation is a practice – don’t ever try to get ‘good’ at it. Just do the best you can with no judgement or criticism of yourself. That’s perhaps one of the first things to learn. You’re not getting graded. Meditation will teach you to accept yourself right where you are, and as you are. You’re learning new ways to be happy with yourself.

Secondly, if you worry or obsess or think endlessly about something you are already meditating. It’s just counter productive. You’re meditating on what you don’t want rather than what you do want. Meditation is focused thought. In meditation you choose something pleasant to think about. Since like attracts like, you are actually energetically pulling in more of those pleasant energies.

Third, you don’t need a lot of time. It does help to make meditation time a priority, but it can be a priority of 3 deep breaths or 3 minutes here and there. You will undoubtedly discover that 5 or 10 minutes of meditation is more effective at calming you down and bringing through new solutions to your problems than arguing with someone for 5 or 10 minutes.

Meditation can be like a mini vacation from the stresses of your life, where you come back renewed and re-energized.

Of course as you progress with a practice of meditation you will discover the joy of connecting deeply with yourself, and the wondrous energy field in which you exist – that great vast place where all answers and complete peace and pure love reside.

I hope you will consider learning about meditation if you haven’t yet. I hope you will consider expanding your practice if you do it once in a while. Do some research – read up about it – listen to recordings on line – practice in the beginning by just sitting still and counting your breaths – long, slow, deep even breaths that do nothing for you except focus your mind on your breathing for as many breaths as you choose. It’s a start and it only gets better from there.